Weight Training 101 – High Reps or Low Reps for Fat Loss?
Fall is here and though the official start of winter isn’t until December 21st, (looking out my window and
seeing a blanket of white stuff tells me different), this is the time of year for many when “weight training
season” seems to kick in. There are many questions and ‘myths’ about weight training that I would like
to squash. My goal, of course, always is to keep you safe. So, let’s move forward.
In the fitness world, there is an ongoing debate about what is better when it comes to fat loss and lifting
weights: Is it better to use light weights and high repetitions or heavy weights and low repetitions? To
settle this the answer truly is -- both!
I promise. I am not trying to skate around the issue. That answer is accurate. A combination of heavy
strength training and high-repetition conditioning is the most effective and scientifically proven way to
lose fat and maintain muscle. Here’s why.
Myth: Light weights with high reps will tone muscle and burn fat.
Fact: Light weights with high reps alone do not tone muscle or burn fat.
People often use light weights and high reps exclusively when aiming to lose fat, but this is a huge
mistake — especially if you want to have toned muscles, because lifting weights doesn’t stimulate
muscles enough for fat loss. Focused nutrition and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) take care of fat
loss, while strength training will help you keep the muscle you already have. That said, to maintain the
most muscle possible, you must lift weights that are heavy enough to prove to your body that it still
needs that muscle tissue.
You can still: Use light weights and high reps, but not in the traditional sense of weightlifting.
Instead: Do full-body exercises in a circuit, performing high reps with limited rest. HIIT (High Intensity
Interval Training) is awesome for this. Keep reading and I will explain.
Myth: Heavy weights build muscle, muscle raises your metabolism, so lift heavy to burn fat.
Fact: Heavy weights build strength, which helps you maintain muscle while losing fat.
Lifting heavy weights with low reps won’t help you lose much weight, but it will help you maintain hardearned muscle while losing fat. High reps (12 or more reps per set) build muscular endurance but don’t
build strength. Sets in the 3–10 rep range work best for keeping the muscle you already have, then HIIT
helps strip away the fat tissue on top of those muscles.
Quoting a landmark study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found this -overweight individuals who lifted weights while dieting lost significantly less muscle mass than subjects
who only performed aerobic exercise while following the same diet. The kicker: The subjects who lifted
weights and the subjects who did cardio lost the same amount of weight overall.
What’s the lesson? Resistance training using moderate to heavy weights gives your body a reason to
hold onto muscle tissue. In the end, the weight you lose will be more fat than muscle.
Do: Lift weights 2–3 times per week, using compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, push-ups, and
rows. Perform 3–10 reps per set, and stop each set 1–2 reps shy of failure.
Myth: Cardio burns more calories than lifting weights.
Fact: Straight cardio burns more calories during the workout than lifting weights, but HIIT burns more
calories overall because it raises your metabolism for several hours after your workout.
The most efficient way to lose fat fast is to push your body to its limit with quick bursts of intense
exercise followed by periods of incomplete rest. That’s the idea behind HIIT, and it is hands-down more
effective than traditional cardio for fat loss.
Some examples of HIIT methods include:

Sprint intervals on a stationary bike

40-second sprints on a treadmill followed by 20-second recovery

Medicine ball circuits
Do: Perform HIIT 2–3 times per week for 15–30 minutes. Push yourself hard! This is where the “light
weight, high reps” approach works.
The Big Takeaways
In the end, nutrition has the biggest impact on overall weight loss, but using a combination of strength
training (heavy weights, low reps) and HIIT (light weights, high reps, or cardio intervals) can help you
lose more fat and keep more muscle. To summarize:

Maintain a subtle calorie deficit to ensure you lose weight gradually (and use the MyFitnessPal
app to track your calories for better results). I love this app, have been using it for years, and it’s
FREE!

Eat a well-balanced diet.

Perform high-intensity interval training 2–3 times per week to stimulate fat loss.
I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving! God speed all.
Tammy Cowden